#129: Building A Business With a Chronic Illness with Nikita Williams, Confidence & Clarity Coach
According to the American Hospital Association, 133 million Americans suffer from at least one chronic illness.
That’s nearly half the population.
Imagine how many of those Americans are entrepreneurs.
Today, I was joined by Nikita Williams, who is a Competence & Clarity Coach, who also suffers from 2 chronic illnesses.
Nikita and I chatted about what:
Ways we can support employees and clients with chronic illnesses better as leaders
Challenges come with have a chronic illness and running a business
Strengths people with chronic illnesses have and why they make great business owners
Tune into this episode to hear about when Nikita was diagnosed with endometriosis and fibromyalgia and how you can navigate chronic illness in tandem with business for yourself as well.
Learn more about Nikita here: https://www.thrivewithnikita.com or check her out on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/thrivewithnikita.
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Listen to the Show:
Laura 00:01
Welcome to the Next Level Leap podcast. I'm your host, Laura Meyer top growth strategist to some of the country's fastest growing brands, and mentor to consultants. My signature leap methodology has changed the way 1000s of companies look at growth strategy, and this podcast shares, best practices, and inspirational interviews to help you make that next level leap in your business. Stick around and join me as I share the journey of how we as founders can multiply our income impact and influence by landing on the other side of our next big leap. Let's go.
Laura 00:46
Hey, y'all, I want you to meet somebody really amazing. Her name is Nikita Williams, and she's a competence and clarity coach for creative business owners. So thank you, Nikita, for being here today.
Nikita 00:57
Thanks for having me.
Laura 00:59
So it's really interesting. You provide services to people around clarity and confidence. But from a perspective of having chronic health challenges, can you share a little bit more about your journey in that area?
Nikita 01:12
Yeah, there are a lot of coaches and services out there that take care of the creative community. But I definitely think living with chronic pain, whether it's fatigue, whether it's endometriosis, PCOS, even cancer, there are challenges of like growing your business and being sustainable and like going with the ebbs and flows of your body. And because I personally live with chronic illness and different challenges, I've had to learn how to run my business differently than some. And because of that, that's kind of been my passion to help others find their unique way of doing it while dealing with some of those challenges.
Laura 01:54
Yeah, so tell me a little bit about your story of being diagnosed with endometriosis and fibromyalgia like when did you find out?
Nikita 02:02
So I was diagnosed with endometriosis back in 2009, and fibromyalgia back in 2010. And they were literally right back to back after I had just gotten married to my wonderful husband, it was literally a year or two after we had gotten married. And so it came out of the blue. I'm not like some of my clients who have always had chronic illness or people who have had it for a long - 2 -
time, or had to wait for a very long time for a diagnosis. And I was pretty persistent, and figuring out what's going on. And we came to some conclusion to you know, the diagnosis. So it's definitely 14 years now living with those different challenges. I've had lots of you know, ups and downs, but definitely found what I call my flow of like, honoring my body, and really honoring how my body works in, in the world today.
Laura 02:56
That's so interesting. And I think what's one of the reasons why I want to bring you on this podcast is not only because I think you have some really important messages to share with the world, but also the degree to which all of the people who are listening right now are likely serving individuals, business owners, entrepreneurs with chronic pain, or with chronic health conditions, without even realizing it. Or there's, I mean, being in business for 20 years, like I have, there's been so many times where you have a client or even a team member, and they come to you and they say, Hey, I just found this out, or I have cancer. I mean, the amount of times I've had that happen, you know, again, just out of numbers, right, like probability that it's going to happen. So I think this is a really important conversation that we need to be having with a heightened awareness around the fact that, like a large population of the people that are in our audiences that we serve, are maybe secretly struggling with some of these issues. Would you have you found that to be the case?
Nikita 04:00
Yeah, I mean, there's 133 million people in the United States according to the ADEA, before the pandemic, who have some form of chronic illness. So it is a very widespread, but a lot of those chronic illnesses are invisible to most of us. And because they are invisible, we don't you know, it's just different than a visible quote unquote, disability or challenge when it comes to physical and emotional pain even but because we live in a world where you can't see it, people just assume you're all good. You're all fine.
Laura 04:40
I think that's so important to be able to recognize and understand. So what is it like to be creating a business and growing an organization when you're also living with chronic pain and potentially even anxiety from that chronic pain? Right, like, what are some of the challenges is that we need to be aware of?
Nikita 05:02
Well, I think clients need to like service providers, and then also clients, there's two different awareness of that. But I think as the service providers, we definitely need to pay attention that if a client is telling us or experiencing, like really challenging times, and they're not specifically talking about it, nine 9 out of 10, what I have found is that it is a chronic illness, something's going on, they don't have a diagnosis, so they don't feel comfortable talking about what it is, - 3 -
and they're still trying to figure it out. And understanding that the way they work will shift and change while they're going through that process. On average, anyone who has a chronic illness takes seven to 12 years for women specifically, to be diagnosed. So when these women are getting like going through these different challenges, they're feeling stressed about not knowing what it is that they're dealing with. And then they're also feeling stressed about, I have to provide for my family, I have to do all my things. And it's really important for us to ask the right questions to be of support, and give them their space and like, I always like to tell people don't be busybodies. But just be very open to understanding that they may be going through different physical and emotional mental challenges when it comes to their health.
Laura 06:20
So let's say that we're a program creator, let's say that we have a coaching program, or we have a membership. Or let's say even we have team members, and we get the sense that they might have just received some really challenging health news. What are some of the ways in which we can support them better as leaders?
Nikita 06:41
Yeah, I think one of the most important things, Laura, I love that question is really to be open to listening. I think often we assume a lot of things. And just because I have endometriosis, it does not look like someone else's version of endometriosis. So listening is very important. And even if you've experienced it, your client may not be experiencing it the same as you. And so really, first and foremost listening and honoring where they are and giving them potential solutions by asking questions based on their circumstance. So I definitely think if you have a program or service that's very like, what's the word fast paced, someone who's going through a different challenge of like being diagnosed with something or health challenges, their pace is going to change. So really communicating that really, it's your pace, that's most important. I feel like there's sometimes this push and pull about like, hustle and grind and push your way through. But when you have a chronic illness, sometimes that is not the most helpful advice. So really just asking them, like, what is your energy? How are you feeling? What are some things do you feel comfortable doing? What's one small step you can make towards this? Also giving people permission? Like if they need to pause, give them that permission? Because I mean, for me, personally, I would want that, like, I wouldn't want someone to understand that. You know, I need I need a minute to figure out what my bearings are. Right? And so I think really, honestly, it's listening and asking the right questions, and giving some real practical support.
Laura 08:24
That's so good. And I think I would say is as a, as somebody who has a certification programming, I have a coaching program. I always want people I don't want people to hustle, right, but I want to make sure they get an ROI. Like I want to make sure that you know, we're - 4 -
very selective about who we work with. And when people are in our program, we're on in with them to ensure that this isn't just another program that they you know, buy and don't get a result from, we want to make sure that we're removing any obstacles. So what is for you What is that balance between like, there's a practical aspect to if you invest in something you've you know, there's a certain pace in which you need to work in order to get a return and get your money back. But then also making sure that you don't work yourself to the point of having flare ups or, you know, compromising your health from overworking. Like how do you manage that, that delicate balance?
Nikita 09:15
Well, I my I can only speak from my standpoint, because I have only built my business around this and seeing how it support others. And for me, it's really important to help our clients become aware of what their limitations and their strengths are and leverage both. And so creating a you know, a membership or program or course has to be around someone else's own awareness of how they can work and giving them the tools on like how you can complete these different steps in their in their life. And so for example, for me when I work with my clients, most of them are one to one, but I do have a framework that works with them. But the first part of my framework is I Identifying, okay, where do we need to focus on finding what flows for you what doesn't flow for you what is the most important priority for you to receive the return of, you know, investment. And I also say, return of energy, because that's very important for my clients. And so what's going to give you the most bang for your buck in both of those areas, and let's focus there. So you can have those small wins along the way.
Laura 10:25
I love that like making sure that they're accountable to the result, and they're not just sort of hanging out alone or getting off track and you don't know it, right, as somebody who has a sense of responsibility around making sure that you deliver on a promise. Right. But then also ensuring that it's, it's moving at a pace that's going to work for them. You had mentioned just a minute ago, about people with chronic pain or autoimmune disorders. That, you know, we've been talking a lot about it from a standpoint of limiting you, like limiting your growth or having to pace yourself or ensuring that you're going at the at the right speed for your body. What are some of the strengths of people who might struggle in that way?
Nikita 11:10
Perfectionism. I mean, I feel like if you are living with chronic pain, I personally have experienced most women that live with this. They're extremely high achievers, they are known for pushing. And so honestly, I do think as much as they may feel limited, that's actually a challenge for them to tap into the strength of slowing down and making sure that you are doing the things that are the most important in your business. And that part to me is actually you know, the limit of like, always being going and doing, I think is that they have to learn to let - 5 -
them go. And honestly, let's be real, like all of us need to learn to let that go. But I think because of dealing with limits, or what we call or perceive as limits, we actually over overcompensate for them.
Laura 12:09
Yeah, it was so interesting, because when you were saying that I was thinking, Well, gosh, everybody really needs to learn how to do that better, like everybody needs to let go of the things that are unimportant, and only work on the tasks and activities that we are uniquely gifted. I mean, we all are all I think, trying to figure that out all the time, right? Is that part of why you think that people who have chronic pain or autoimmune disorders make great business owners?
Nikita 12:38
Absolutely. I always tell people, I feel like if you work with someone who lives with chronic pain, you're definitely going to get what you asked for it. They find a way, right they find a way to make something work, even though there may have been boulders in their obstacles. And I think if you're working with someone who has that challenge, you know, a fear of ours, that you might think we're lazy, or that we can't do something or we're just going to be, you know, kind of MIA but I have seen far, far, far, far from that being the case. And it really does lend to their strength to be able to find and do the things for you in a very unique creative way, nine times out of 10.
Laura 13:26
I love that you just share that. Because I think that's probably true for most people who have experienced any type of adversity. And I love that you're reframing it from a perspective of health and wellness, that specific type of adversity. Is there anything that you want to make sure our audience knows about either working with those who have chronic pain, or auto immune challengers or, or having them in on your team or having them in your programs? Is there anything that you that you want to leave our audience with any wisdom?
Nikita 14:06
I like to tell folks that if a person tells you they're in pain, like they're like they're going through something physically, emotionally, mentally. The reason why they're even saying it out loud, nine times out of 10 is because it's beyond what they're normally used to. So way you respond to that person, whether it's like well, you can just push through it or just bear through it or whatever phrasing that you share with people understand that likely they're communicating this because at this moment in time, this is really difficult for them to move through. And they're looking for support, right. They're not looking for advice, but more of understanding, then I think that's really important. And then for those living with chronic illness. I love to say do what you - 6 -
can with When you can with what you have, and that always gets you one step further than not doing anything.
Laura 15:04
Love that great advice. If people want to learn more about how to connect with you or reach out to you or have questions about anything that we discussed today, what's the best way for them to get in touch with you?
Nikita 15:17
Yeah, you can follow me on Instagram, at Thrive With Nikita or check out my podcast and she's crafted to thrive, where we have lots of conversations like Laura and I are having right now.
Laura 15:28
Yeah, yeah, you're such a talented podcaster and we didn't even get into that today. I really recommend that you check out Nikita’s social media she's on Tik Tok to we found each other over there. Like the three people I know on Tik Tok and, and make sure I know we're both like, I'm not sure what we're doing but yours looks really good. And definitely check out her podcast that's going to be a great place for you to learn more about what she stands for and believes in but also making sure that you share it with others who need to hear that message. So thank you so much Nikita for being here.
Laura 16:04
Thank you. Make sure to visit our website, yournextlevelleap.com where you can subscribe to the show and Apple podcasts stitcher or RSS, so you never miss a show. And while you're at it, if you found value in what you heard today, we would love a rating on Apple podcast. Or if you simply tell a friend about the show that would help us out too. Thank you so much for listening!
The Scale with Joy podcast dives into the mindset and strategies of scaling your company to the million dollar mark and beyond. Each week, we follow the journeys of innovators, disruptors, experts and leaders - sharing behind the scenes stories of their most challenging moments and greatest lessons learned-all while building their multi-million dollar empires.